hazel and ruby Archives

DIY Masked Art Journal Page

Hey guys, I know you know that I really enjoy playing in my art journal. I’ve fallen in love with art journaling over the past year and love experimenting with new ideas and techniques.

Today I wanted to share with you a recent page I made using the Hazel and Ruby Cut your own Stencil material.

I cut out a bunch of different sized flowers from the Stencil Mask material on my Brother Scan N Cut to use in my journal and then hopefully again in future projects as well!

@punkprojects uses @hazelandruby "Cut Your Own Stencil" material to make this fun flowered art journal page.

Next I painted the pages of the journal a bright and shiny gold, let them dry completely and then placed my stencil masks.

I did one page at a time.

I painted over the stencil masks with a couple of coats of dark purple acrylic paint. Once that was dry I peeled off the stencil masks!

I had been planning on adding some journaling on top of the page, but once it was done I loved the gold flower pattern too much to “mess up”.

This was a page in the Gold Color Chaos journal.

You can find more of my art journaling projects on the Hazel & Ruby blog here:

Ebrushed Art Journal Cover

Coptic Stitch Gelli Print Journal

Gelli Printed Art Journal

and my own blog by looking under the tag Art Journal here.

Are you a fan of gold?

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DIY Constellation Mini Embroidered Hoops

Embroidered Constellations! @punkprojects using an @hazelandruby Crafternoon kit to create these embroidered space scenes.

I shared this project on the Hazel and Ruby blog yesterday and I just had to share it here for you guys as well!

I had a couple of holiday Crafternoon kits that I just didn’t quite get around to making before Christmas, and I didn’t want them to just sit around for a year, waiting to be made. So using the Embroidered Hoop Ornaments Kit I re-purposed it into something that I can display anytime-

Constellation/Space Embroidered Hoops!

I will admit to being a bit of a nerd (okay, a huge nerd), and I love anything space themed, which is why I chose to stitch constellations here. Obviously, you can stitch whatever you like. 🙂

The Crafternoon kit came with everything I would’ve needed to make these, so the only other supplies I grabbed was some mint embroidery thread and white ribbon (to use instead of the red ribbon which the kit comes with).

Creating these mini embroidered hoops was super easy, although like all hand stitching it does take a little time. The instructions for the Crafternoon kit show you how to do the basic embroidery stitches if you don’t already know how.

I googled a few constellation images to use as a guide and then used the transfer paper from the kit to transfer them onto my fabric and then stitched them.

Don’t you think the holiday Crafternoon kit worked perfectly for this? I’m going to hang these up in my studio.

Thank you for stopping by! Now go make something!

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DIY Wool Felt Ball Table Topper

Hey guys, TOday I am up on the Hazel and Ruby blog with a fun Thanksgiving themed project!

Do you have any plans for Thanksgiving? We don’t usually do the traditional Thanksgiving dinner, with a Turkey and such, but I still like to decorate for the holiday. I’ve been working on decorating our table.

I made these little turkey candy tins, and crocheted a purple garland, but I felt it was a bit boring and it still needed something. Crafternoon to the rescue!

I’ve been wanting to use the Wool Felt Ball Garland kit for a while now, and this was the perfect use!

Katie Smith creates a wool felt ball table topper using an @hazelandruby #crafternoon kit!

The only problem was that the bright colors of the wool felt balls (even though I loved how happy they were) didn’t really match my Autumn color scheme. So I grabbed my eBrush and some markers to fix my problem!

I used a gold Sharpie to color the yellow balls a pretty metallic color and a purple sharpie to go over the pink felt balls. The ebrush worked perfectly for this, as the felt balls are still soft, and not stiff as if I had used paint.

Making the garland really couldn’t be easier. The kit comes with everything you need, like thread and a needle, as well as handy instructions.

I just wrapped my wool felt ball “garland” around my table decorations and it completed my Thanksgiving table topper! I love it!

Thanks for stopping by! What color wool felt balls would you put on a garland?

You can learn how to make the Turkey Tins from empty Pirouline Tins here.

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DIY Gelli Printed Tote Bag

Hey guys, Last week I was up on the Hazel and Ruby blog sharing a tutorial for this fun tote bag and I love it so much I had to share it here with you too!

I used the Hazel and Ruby Gold Foil Iron On Tote Bag and a 4″ Round Gelli Plate by Gelli Arts to design this fun tote bag that is perfect for Fall, especially with Thanksgiving just around the corner!

I started by applying acrylic paints to my gelli plate- I love this new(ish) circle gelli plate. I stuck with autumn themed colors, like oranges and reds. Warm colors.

I used my gelli plate like a stamp. Since it’s so small (4″) it was easy to pick up and flip over. I printed multiple circles around my tote bag.

I cut leaves out of the Cut your own Stencil material and used those as masks. I placed them down on my already printed circles, squirted black paint onto my gelli plate and printed over top of the leaf masks.

Now for the quote on my bag, although I loved the original “Hustle and Heart” quote, it’s not what I had in mind for this bag.
I cut the word Heart out of the iron on and used it in my quote: “Start each day with a grateful heart”.
I followed the instructions that came with the Crafternoon Layered Gold Foil Iron On Tote kit for foiling the word heart- SO EASY!

Thanks for stopping by! Wasn’t that easy? And if you haven’t tried gelli printing yet, you really should! messy + awesome = fun!

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Easy Travel Journal using Hazel and Ruby’s Crafternoon Kits

Hey there guys, Today I wanted to share this project I created for the Hazel and Ruby blog last week.

It is a travel mini album I made by combining a couple of the new Hazel and Ruby Crafternoon kits! (If you haven’t seen all of the Crafternoon line, then you need to go take a peek– so many options!)

I used the Travel Journal kit to document my Summer trip to Colorado. While the travel journal is meant to be taken with you on travels, it doesn’t necessarily have to- it’s perfect for documenting your trip after you get home as well!

My style is usually pretty artsy so I combined my travel journal with the Crafternoon Watercolor Art kit. The Watercolor Art comes with a palette of 12 colors!

I brushed on a bit of color to my journal cover (such an easy way to customize it!) and also created a few custom card inserts for the album.

Making the album is the easiest part because the kit comes with stickers so you don’t have to go looking around for what might match.

Here’s a peek at all of my pages, I did add a little bit of Hazel and Ruby Scallop Away washi tape and Sequins for some more pops of red.

This was definitely one of the quickest scrapbooks I’ve made, and possibly one of the cutest! Seriously- I love how it turned out!

Did you go on any fun Summer travels that you’ll be documenting?

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DIY Gelli Print Journal

I shared this on the Hazel and Ruby blog earlier this month and I somehow forgot to share it here.

I recently bought a Bind-It-All Machine (by Zutter) and today I wanted to share with you this art journal I made using it, Hazel and Ruby products, Shimmerz Coloringz and a Gelli Plate!

I’m participating in the art journal group “Get Messy” (read more about them here.) and the journal prompts for April and May were all based on being Brave. So I made a themed journal just for those prompts.

I love the pretty colors of the Shimmerz Coloringz sprays so I used those to color a dozen or so different papers.

I prepped all of my pretty papers with some of the fabulous Hazel and Ruby Stencil Masks. I even used the Cut your own stencil mater and cut out my favorite leafy die from Spellbinders and a cut from The Cut Shoppe.

Using my 8″x10″ Gelli Plate, I spread a bit of white paint on it and printed over my papers.

Normally when I do gelli printing, I think “The more layers the better!” but this time I tried very hard to keep the pages minimalist with the white layer over the spray misted papers.

After gelli printing all of my papers I peeled off all of the masks to see the pretty colors showing through! I also trimmed them down into 4 pieces each so that they were a good size for my journal.

The backs of the prints we pretty plain, so I used some of the Maps of the World Wrap it Up paper as well as a few of the 4″ rolls of DIY Decor Tape (Not just for Decor!) to cover up the backs of the pages.

After that I loaded up all of the pages into my Bind-it-All and finished my journal!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope I’ve inspired you to get out your gelli plate and make some prints!

Do you art journal?

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DIY Crackled Pepsi Crate

Hey guys, Today I wanted to share this Pepsi crate I restyled using some Hazel and Ruby products and One Step Crackle Paint from Deco Art.

I bought this wooden pepsi crate last year, because I love the little cubbies- perfect for organizing. But, I don’t drink cokes (I’m from Texas, Pepsi is considered coke as well), so I didn’t really care that it said pepsi on the side.

After having it for a while, I felt that it was time for a restyle.

Supplies: Wooden Pepsi Crate, Wooden Grain DIY Decor Tape, Newsprint Floral Wrap it Up Paper, One Step Crackle Paint, Gel Stain, Adhesive, Paint Brush, Scissors

I’m part of Deco Art’s blogger outreach program, and I am using these 2 mediums by Deco Art on this project. The One Step Crackle is really cool, because you apply if over patterned papers or things like DIY Decor Tape!

I started by covering the outside of my crate in the fabulous Wooden Grain DIY Decor Tape.

Next I cut out some of the gorgeous flowers from the Newsprint Floral Wrap it Up paper and adhered them to the sides. These are perfect for fussy cutting out and using on projects.

Time for some crackle! Go over the outside of the crate with the One Step Crackle medium. I found that the thicker I applied it, the larger the crackles, and the thinner, the smaller the crackles.

Let them dry fully.

Now you’ll want to apply the Gel Stain over top so that you can see the crackles better. I squirted on a small blob, and then rubbed it into the crackles with a baby wipe.

After that is dry, you’re done! I am loving this technique, having crackled DIY Decor Tape is really cool, in my opinion.

Thanks for stopping by!

Do you like vintage coke crates??

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Easy Art Journal Background

You guys, it’s almost May! Can you believe it? Today I wanted to show you guys a page I recently made in my art journal and am sharing on the Hazel and Ruby blog!

This was inspired by a technique Tina (a super talented designer also on the HR team!) did for coloring in the Color Me Floral DIY Decor Tape. This is one of my favorite DIY Decor Tapes!

I thought Tina’s art journal was fantastic. I used the Color ME Floral tape as a background on this page and colored it in with Shimmerz Inklingz.

I cut a piece of the DIY Decor Tape down to the right size for my art journal and just stuck it directly to the page like you would any washi tape.

The DIY Decor Tape is slick, so the Inklingz (or watercolors) won’t stick to it without a little altering. Tina had used clear gesso in her technique. I didn’t have any so I just lightly sanded the tape and the Shimmerz stuck just fine.

The colors of the inklingz are so so pretty and dreamy!

I added a few drops of Shimmerz Coloringz as well as some of Hazel and Ruby’s Green with Envy sequins. The colors matched my page perfectly!

I accidentally got a drop of blue mist on my bottom lip- OOPS! But I figure it’s just in my art journal where I’m messy all the time anyhow. 🙂

What are you working on today?

Hop over to the Hazel and Ruby blog here.

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Organization Week at Hazel and Ruby

Hey guys, It is Organization Week at Hazel and Ruby I wanted to share with you guys a peek at my studio + how I organize my Hazel and Ruby supplies!

I love restyling boxes, trunks, carts, etc. So, that means a lot of the containers I use to hold my Hazel and Ruby supplies have actually been restyled USING Hazel and Ruby supplies. Fantastic, right?

Here are some photos of my space:

I have a Gift Wrap Cart by Recollections. Because it is meant to hold things like wrapping paper, it is perfect for holding my Hazel and Ruby Pass the Tissue and Wrap it Up paper rolls!

I’ve got my Stencil Masks laying flat in this old suitcase I restyled (you can read more about that project here).
It’s sitting on the bottom shelf of my bookcase and I have my DIY Decor Tape stacked up next to it.

So there you go! that is how I store my H&R supplies. Here are a few more containers and things I restyled with Hazel and Ruby products that are hanging around my studio:

I restyled this awesome toolbox to hold things like spray mists.

I gave this magazine rack a revamp.

and lastly, I upcycled these mini trunks! One holds extra glue sticks and the other holds rhinestones and bling.

How do you organize your supplies? Do reuse a lot of containers like me?

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DIY Quote String Art + String Art Tips

Okay guys, this is a project I’ve been wanting to do for quite a while now. I’ve seen some amazing string art recently (lots at CHA!) and I finally did it!

It also just happens to be “Pallet day” on the Hazel and Ruby blog, which means a bunch of us on the design team are sharing projects using recycled pallets. This is mine.

I decided to use a quote rather than doing a shape or image, and one of my favorite quotes is “Not all those who wander are lost” by Tolkien.

If you want to learn how to make a quote string art, here’s how:

Supplies: Wood to do your string art on, 1″ Nails, Hammer, String, Letter Stencils (I used Hazel and Ruby stencil masks).

1. Find your wood! There are plenty of different wood options for your base. You could use a wood canvas, a piece of plywood, or an old pallet like I did.

For mine I disassembled a pallet and cut the wood down the the size I wanted and then screwed them together on the backside using some scrap pallet wood. It was pretty easy, you can see how I did it in the picture below.

2. Paint your wood! This is totally optional, you may prefer the wood look. I normally love the wood grain of natural wood, but I didn’t like the dark color (too gloomy!) of this wood so I painted it.

3. Next you’ll want to decide on a quote and place letters on to your wood, spacing your letters equally and leaving about half an inch or so in between each letter.

Now you could print out and cut out paper letters to use as a guide, but I actually used Hazel and Ruby stencil masks and they were *perfect* for this.

(You can see in the photo below, I only had 1 W stencil so I used an M while placing my stencils, but when it was time to nail, I switched it to the other W.)

4. With your stencils placed, Take your hammer and nails and start nailing! You want to put nails in each corner of your letter, and then place them in between those nails as well, outlining your letter.

5. Repeat step 4 until you’ve done your entire quote.

I recommend leaving the stencils in place until you’re ready to string the letter and then removing it. That way you can see your words and not just a bunch of nails.

6. Time for some string! Start by tying one end of your string into a know on to any nail on your first letter.

7. Next you just want to wrap your string around that letter until you have it covered. You can go around the entire outline of the letter first and then going back and filling the inside in or just randomly wrapping it. Just make sure you have the outline done!

Once you’ve finished a letter, knot off your string and repeat steps 6 and 7 with the next letter!

Some tips from a first time string art artist:

Buy enough nails! I had originally only bought 1 pack (4oz) of wire nails to do this and only got about 1 third of the way done.
The more nails the better when wrapping! Especially on curved letters, the more nails you use to outline the letter, the better it will look and the more places you’ll have to wrap your string.
Take breaks! As I mentioned in the first tip, I underestimated the amount of nails I’d need. I also underestimated just how much hammering was involved. I had to take some breaks before I got a hand cramp!
String: I actually used embroidery floss for my string. On a practice piece of wood I used yarn- which while it produces a fuller/bolder look (than the thin embroidery floss) and is a little easier to see, I didn’t like how it was fuzzy. So it’s all up to you and what you like.

The Hazel and Ruby masks were perfect for using as a guide for where to place my nail! I’d definitely recommend them if you want nicely shaped letters!

You can find all 7 amazing Pallet DIY ideas by the Hazel and Ruby team here.

Have you done string art before? Any tips you would share?